Amazon Is Hiring Blockchain Experts To Expand into DeFi

By Jody McDonald June 10, 2021 In Blockchain, DeFi, Ethereum

A job ad from Amazon, America’s largest digital retailer, has hinted at the company’s move into the decentralised finance (DeFi) market.

Are you passionate about blockchain and decentralised networks and their potential to transform how people, companies, and governments transact?  

Amazon job ad

The listing, featured on jobsite LinkedIn, seeks a ‘Head of Product, Blockchain’ who can apply blockchain for a range of use cases, including DeFi, as part of the Amazon Managed Blockchain (AMB) team.

Amazon’s job ad on LinkedIn

The position description states: 

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The candidate will have a track record delivering outstanding products at scale in emerging spaces, and is passionate about blockchain, distributed systems and cloud scale software. Ideally you will have experience delivering products or innovations in the blockchain space, and in particular DeFi or Traditional Financial Services.

As well as a computer science degree and more than 10 years’ experience, the job ad lists preferred qualifications including experience in blockchain applications Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric.

Does a Blockchain Hire Signal an Amazon-Branded Crypto?

Given the increasing value of the DeFi industry, it makes sense that the e-commerce heavy hitter wants a slice of the action. 

Amazon’s recruitment of a blockchain product manager is driving speculation about exactly how the company will apply DeFi – whether accepting cryptos as payment or creating its own digital currency and exchange.  

The AMB team leverages blockchain for use cases “across DeFi, Supply Chain, Financial Services, Identity and more”, and it seems the new hire will play an important role in shaping Amazon’s approach to DeFi. As the ad says:

We are looking for an experienced product leader to drive the vision, roadmap, feature definition and go-to-market strategy of the AWS [Amazon Web Services] product offering across the rapidly evolving and broad landscape of blockchain technology and use cases.

What appears to be a move to do more in the DeFi space could help Amazon stay ahead of rivals like Cudos, a decentralised cloud computing network, which launched its private testnet in May.

Jody McDonald
Author

Jody McDonald

Jody is a Brisbane-based freelance writer who specialises in writing about business, technology, and the future of work.

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